


Be Careful Who You Love

by Adron



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-01-31 12:42:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21446389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adron/pseuds/Adron
Summary: After taking the moonstone for herself, Cassandra's been struggling with her newfound powers until one day, things get heated and she accidentally sends yet another wave of different coloured rocks. Only this time? They're going to infect Corona AND herself with love.
Relationships: Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Rapunzel, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 8
Kudos: 147





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing Tangled related.

Cassandra had made a lot of smart choices in her life, but this...probably wasn't one of them. At least, that's what she _ thought _ . Let's start from the beginning. It all began with a certain moonstone, the perfect ingredient for causing pandemonium-which, well we'll get to that. Yes, Cassandra had snatched the moonstone and Rapunzel's destiny along with it, but she deserved this. Too long had she been left waiting in the wings, supporting from a distance. She couldn't. She just couldn't live like that anymore; a shadow completely forgotten by the presence of anything _ Rapunzel _ . Perhaps now, with a great power of her own, she could be her own person. Her only problem to this? It was no longer a matter of _ when _ for her, it was _ how. _

The no-name blue gremlin that had been leeching around her very existence all day and night-though irksome to deal with-did have some valuable advice for her. She'd begun teaching her new aspects of her lunar strength. Cass had always understood knowledge was powerful, so she'd humor this kid as long as she continued to pick up a few things along the way.

Back to how this started the catalyst to her terrible actions. It was on any ordinary gloomy day, the Dark Kingdom's forest trees provided additional darkness to the already storm cloud-covered sky. She was practicing once again her control over the black rocks, and unsurprisingly wasn't getting far with it either.

'Cassandra.' Oh boy, _ here _ we go.

'Yes?'

The child sighed. There was no need for her to tell her she was disappointed. 'You've been holding yourself back for days. Stop denying your anger from showing its most potent potential.'

Cass had just about had enough of this. Days and days of nitpicking and nagging. And the entire time she'd been talked down to by an annoying child. Nothing had changed. 'You really think I'm not trying?' Her emotions began to bubble to the surface, but Cassandra doesn't get upset. She's a born warrior. She wouldn't cry. Just because yet another person saw her as weak didn't mean she was going to let them know she cared. Instead she lashed out. 'You think I _ like _ sitting in the mud for hours? That I _ like _ sleeping and surviving out here alone? That I _ like _knowing that every time I end up with barely anything to show for my efforts, Rapunzel once again is unreachable?!'

The blue child smiled, hovering closer towards her. 'Yes, Cassandra, yes! Use this kind of rage to exact your revenge on Rapunzel. It's exactly the kind of power you'll need to destroy the sundrop. Just look at the power you have!'

All around them were towering black rocks, thrice the size of her puny beginnings. They'd tear right through Corona for sure. For a moment, and Cassandra would readily deny it, it actually scared her. Correction. Rapunzel's _ reaction _ scared her. Suddenly, the razor spikes sunk back into the earth, as if they were never there. The only evidence of their existence was the huge scowl on blue gremlin's face.

'You're doing it _ again _, Cassandra.' She huffed. In a softer tone, she said, 'Why don't you tell me what's going on? I can help you, you know.'

Yeah right, Cassandra thought. She already knew what was wrong. It was her annoying _ feelings _ again. She'd always felt a connection to her best friend, and it had only gotten stronger the longer they'd been together. By the time they'd stepped out onto the road, she had already been drowning herself with them, and that had begun to sting. Oh it stung so much, knowing that yet again there was something about Rapunzel she would never be able to reach-once again all because she was _ Cassandra. _

'I can see the confliction in your eyes, Cassandra. Tell me, why can't you destroy Rapunzel?' The blue gremlin asked again.

She wouldn't outright tell the truth, but perhaps her makeshift teacher could help her if she had a little more perspective over her situation. After erasing Raps' memories and almost causing a permanent disaster, she at least had to try to make an effort to be more open.

'Rapunzel...is my best friend.' Cassandra sighed, hugging her elbows for emotional protection. Oh god, sharing emotions was worse than she thought. Why had she agreed to this again? Rapun-no. It was so she could be a better person. Right. Yes. 'I've always felt it was my job to protect her, and...it’s hard to explain but...to destroy the sundrop just feels like I'm going against my own code.'

The child stared blankly at her. Cassandra wasn't even sure if she had cared enough to listen with a look like that on her face. Yet in the most deadpan, serious voice she said, 'You still like her, don't you?'

Heat flared and prickled her insides. 'No! I-. Rapunzel isn't...I don't _ love _ her!' How? How had this gremlin found her out so easily? Was it _ that _obvious?

There was a pause. Wind rustled through the leaves.  
The gremlin before her started laughing, a transparent hand appearing in front of her face to cover up her amusement. The noise was grating on Cassandra's ringing ears. 

'What's so _ funny _ about this?' Cass shouted.

The imp stopped for a moment. 'Oh Cassandra.’ She looked like she was bursting at the seams with all the laughter she was trying to conceal. ‘I never said you _ loved _ her.'

Oh. _ Oh. _ Oh _ no _ . She'd just unwittingly admitted one of her oldest secrets. To a _ stranger _no less. 'I...uh. I meant as a friend.' She coughed.

'Mhm.' The underlying amusement in the child's tone made her stomach do somersaults.

'I-it's true!' She was trying to keep a straight face, but her mind was betraying her; replaying every encounter with the princess, revealing every time it _ didn't _ feel like just a friends thing. There were a lot of times, now that she thought about it. The challenge of the brave; where she'd both hated and revelled in the fact that Rapunzel wanted to compete _ with her _ , the day she’d stopped Andrew; when the princess had told her she was proud of Cass. The day they first set out on their quest; Raps had hugged her, and she’d been warmer than any ray of sunshine in her arms. The day Raps’ memories had been erased and she’d been _ so physically close to her she’d nearly died of suffocation _ . There were so many times she was starting to believe that she’d end up with a huge list if she gave enough time for it. Heck, she’d even almost kissed her that time they had just been freed as birds. Cassandra shivered. She’d nearly lost Raps forever that day. The woman had used every part of her strength not to just give in and _ kiss her _, Eugene be damned. God how she dreamed of a kiss from the princess. She knew it would be better than perfect. But it would never-

‘Cassandra~?’ the blue child sung with mischievous amusement. Great , now what was she going to tease her about? ‘You’re absolutely _ sure _ you don’t love the sundrop?’ 

‘Positive. Now can you drop this subject and actually be useful and teach me something, please?’ Cass crossed her arms.

The gremlin smirked. ‘I think you’ve done enough today.’ She gestured to all around them. How Cassandra hadn’t noticed the commotion was beyond her, but all around her and further on to the horizon were proud, magenta stalks of moonstone. A ball of lead sunk to the pit of Cass’ stomach. She couldn’t have...just because last time the rocks reflected her emotions, they wouldn’t… 

‘Doesn’t love the sundrop, she says!’ The imp said to herself. She chuckled. ‘This could get interesting. I wonder what Rapunzel will think with your _ love _ running rampant around Corona?’ More laughter. 

No. No, no, no, _ no _ . This couldn’t be happening. Dizziness rushed into her head, drowning whatever else the gremlin was mocking her about. All she could hear was the pounding of blood in her eardrums. Cassandra rushed over to one of the taller rocks, and laid her hands on the smooth sides of it. She had to stop this. Now. Her hands were shaking slightly, but she had to focus. Closing her eyes, she tried recalling other thoughts of Rapunzel. The pain she’d felt when Rapunzel stopped trusting her judgement, the feeling of uselessness that had grown over the course of their journey, her annoying tendency to always become the spotlight of attention-even when it was for things Cass especially shined in. She didn’t _ love _ Rapunzel. She didn’t. She opened her eyes. 

The hues of pink reflected back onto her face, teasing her with their mere existence. Frustrated, she slammed her fist against their impenetrable surface.

Light exploded in her face, and her body was sent flying.

'Cassand-oh.' There was that bothersome giggle again.

Groaning and cupping her head as she stood back up, she checked herself for injury. She wasn't in any real pain thanks to her moonstone armour; it had blocked the blow more than any royal guard armour could ever achieve. Shaking the dust out of her hair, Cassandra looked to the half-pint. She was staring.

'Looks like your, ahem, _ affiliation _, with the sundrop is just as stubborn as you, if not more.' Another giggle. 'It's gone and infected you too.'

'And what's that supposed to mean?'

The child simply pointed up to her face. Confused, she parted a section of her front curls, and brought it in front of her vision. Bright, strikingly obvious pink strands mocked her. Great. Wonderful. _ Perfect. _ She checked other parts of her hair, they remained cerulean. Okay, so it wasn't all bad, it was only a small part.

'It's going to get worse, Cassandra.'

Cass glared at her, storming off in the direction of her mess. 'I don't care. Leave me alone.' She needed more air, she needed space. Why couldn't she be like Owl at a time like this?

'But Cassandra, your emotions have found an opportunity-it's not going to stop until it fulfils that desire of yours.'

Cassandra spun back round on her heel. 'I don't _ desire _ anything to do with _ Rapunzel. _' She seethed, the hands to her sides balling into fists.

'Deny it all you want. It's not going to disappear. Love is stronger than any power, including the Moonstone's.' Cassandra coughed, nearly choking in the process. 'And I suggest you stop denying it as soon as possible, because you're making it worse.' She pointed to her hair again, of which had yet another strand shaded in pink.

Cass was speechless. There was no way out of this. Her throat was dry, and she swallowed so harshly knives might as well have been in her mouth. This definitely was the worst thing she'd ever done in the history of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! First time on AO3...
> 
> This little story started based off an idea discussed in a Cassunzel Discord server: The Cassunzel Committee. I strongly recommend you join it if you like Cass and Raps ^-^
> 
> As for this story, ahah ^^; idk how good or bad it is but I hope you like it. I've got a few ideas for this so here's to hoping I do Cassunzel justice. 
> 
> A comment would be greatly appreciated so I know how good or bad this really is as well. Thanks and once again I hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra's new breed of rocks have reached Corona.

This was it. Cass had finally reached Corona's walls. Fires had broken out in the streets, sending smoke and chipped bits of glowing charcoal into the air. Black rocks twice the size of a man punctured through buildings and soldiers alike like butter. Rapunzel coughed, running forwards with her hand out in front. She couldn't find any of her friends; the roaring of flames so loud there was little chance they'd hear her calling out for them. Yet she still tried. Rapunzel was not one to give up on optimism so freely, if there was even the slightest chance she'd find one of her friends, she'd take it. However, she hadn't expected to find her most important friend _ first _. The world stilled when she saw her. Cerulean eyes met green in silent contest. 

Cassandra was...different. She still wore the same moonstone outfit she'd had back at the Dark Kingdom, but she'd _ transformed. _ The woman standing there, just beyond the broken Corona wall was the most beautiful person Rapunzel had ever seen. Cass' aquamarine hair curled and shifted in the wind, the silvery strands catching the light and shimmering as if lit from within. She looked...free. Rapunzel frowned, realising what that meant. A pain in her chest began to ache. _ She was far better off without Rapunzel in her life... _

'Cass!' She called out, running towards her. The outskirts of town were almost completely clear of smoke, enabling the princess to constantly keep an eye on her target. Faster and faster and harder did she push herself to sprint, because it was Cass and she missed her and _ it was Cass _. Cold liquid was falling down her face, but she needed to speak with Cass. She needed to see her best friend.

But it was as if some cruel joke had been played on her, because Rapunzel started to realise that while she kept running, the distance between her and Cass didn't diminish at all. There was an invisible wall between them.

Within three metres of the princess, Cassandra lifted her hand, to which black rocks mirrored around Rapunzel, trapping her in a makeshift cage. Her friend glared at her, walking forward. The fact that Cass' anger was directed at _ her _hurt more than the actual look she was given. 

Hands pressed to the cold stone, she leaned forward. 'Cass, I…' What could she say? Rapunzel didn't even know if it was her place to speak, for fear of severing her love for Cass even further. She swallowed. 'I'm sorry.' She bowed her head. Cassandra remained silent. The tension in the air was thicker than the smoke had been; and even more suffocating. 'I miss you so, _ so much _, Cass. Please, you're my friend. I can't lose you.'

'You already have.' Cassandra spat back, brushing past her cage without a second thought.

Spinning round to the opposite end of the cage, Rapunzel watched on helplessly.

'Cassandra come back!' She called out, squeezing her arm through the gap, desperate to keep their distance to a minimum. Her cheeks pressed against the bars. But Cassandra kept walking, the back of her hair blowing in the wind. 'CASS!' She begged, tearing up again. She couldn't be gone.

Yet Cassandra had truly disappeared, engulfed by the smoke of her fallen home. In fact, Rapunzel considered, it never really was her home anymore even before it was destroyed. Home didn't exist without Cass. Alone, to herself, she whispered, 'Cass, I-'

'Cass, wait!' Rapunzel cried, startling herself. Her eyes met a dim, empty room; simple floorboards for a ceiling directly in her line of vision. 

Over the past several weeks, Rapunzel had made it her job to keep Cass' room exactly the way it had been since they left. No one else was permitted in her room aside from Pascal and Eugene-not even Crowley to dust. The only change in her friend's room was the ever-growing pile of paintings depicting Cassandra in all sorts of scenarios that Rapunzel had created. And yet, even though she had everything exactly in the same place, she was always missing the final piece. 

Rapunzel sat upright, again confirming the overbearing feeling of loneliness. She touched her cheeks, noticing how her fingers were now wet with tears. Cass wasn't here. She wasn't coming back. Rapunzel held back more tears, shutting her eyes as she smothered the blanket into her face. They still smelled like her, but it was fading, mixing more and more with her own scent the longer time passed.

Thinking back on her recurring dream, she was still unable to provide the right answer to what she'd wanted to say before she woke up. “Cass, I-” constantly played back in her head day in and day out. It seemed _ so important _ for her to know, as if she was missing out on the most crucial detail to the entire dream. What was it she wanted to say? That she missed her? Unbearably so, but she’d already told her that in the dream. No...this seemed more like a confession, a confession that made Rapunzel feel weak at the knees and her stomach churning with butterflies. But _ what _ ? And _ why _?

‘Oh Cass…’ she mumbled to herself, clenching the blanket even tighter to herself. She wished more than anything that Cass would wake up one day and return to her arms so she could hug her and never let go again, but it was far more complicated than that. She knew that now. 

Rapunzel had continued berating herself relentlessly, and everyone had started noticing her very un-Rapunzel-like behaviour around the castle because of it. She was far more nervous around the castle staff, terrified of crossing a line they weren’t comfortable with. She stopped helping people all the time, because what if she just got in their way like she did with Cass? The princess even unwittingly vowed never to become friends with the staff just to be safe, sticking to either her closest friends or the lonely museum that was Cassandra's bedroom; which, more often than not, she found herself with the latter. 

Though she felt attached to and had grown a dependency on her friend's previous place of dwelling, the sight of Cass’ room still brought along a bitter taste in her mouth, knowing that Cassandra had probably covered up the fact she resented Rapunzel and her status for all this time. How had she not seen it? The pain in her friend’s eyes. She should have been a better friend. No. She should have been better _ for Cass _. She was a human being too, who had their own worries and struggles, and Rapunzel had failed to show her support and acknowledgement. She'd demanded her way was always best, disregarding her friend's judgement for even the little things. Had she have treated or at least shown Cass that she truly valued their relationship, perhaps things would have been different. In any case, it was too late. Perhaps she had already lost Cassandra forever, just as her dreams consistently told her. She hadn't returned so far, why would she return now?

…Yeah, Rapunzel _ really _ wished she hadn't thought of that. Now she felt even worse. God, she was distraught and unravelling at the seams the further time dragged on. How was she supposed to become queen one day if she couldn't even stand up for someone as close to her as Cassandra? She couldn't bottle it up any longer, nobody was in the room right now to see her anyway.

Rapunzel groaned, flopping back down on the hard mattress. She grabbed a pillow and huddled her body around it tightly. It wasn't as nice as having Cass in her arms would be, but it was a better idea than nothing. She slammed her face into the plush material and the dam fell completely apart.

The princess wept into the pillow, the cotton sheet around it already damp from tears. Rapunzel cried for what seemed like forever. She mourned for what she had lost; an ally, a great friend, one of the closest people in her life. She was gone. And Rapunzel would have to live with that. But she didn't want to. She wanted to be selfish and have Cass back all to herself. She wanted to wake up hearing Cass' voice in the morning, telling her to get up for the day. She wanted Cass to see all of her achievements and be proud of her. She needed Cass, and her thirst for adventure, because no one else understood it like she did. And yet none of that would ever happen anymore. It would stay a dream. It crushed her more than when Cass took the moonstone in the first place.

She heard a knock at the door. Panicking, she wiped her eyes as best she could and shuffled to face away from the door. 'Sunshine?'

Eugene.

'Rapunzel...I uh,' her boyfriend coughed. She could hear his feet shuffling uncomfortably underneath the door. 'I'm sorry to disturb you, but-' the door creaked open. 'Rapunzel?'

She lay still, praying he thought she was asleep and would just _ leave _. But it was Eugene, he cared about her too much to just let her be.

A thump from behind her signified to her that he'd sat on the edge of the bed. A warm hand then gently landed on her shoulder. 'Heyy...Sunshine. How are you doing?' He whispered.

She rolled over and sat up, rubbing her eyes for good measure. Pulling out a weak smile, she said, 'Hey Eugene. I'm fine. Everything's okay.'

Lies, lies, _ lies, _it was all a lie. And her boyfriend knew it. Opening his arms outward, he waited for her to lean in so he could hug her. She gave in to his offer. His chest was warm with the thrum of his beating heartbeat.

'It's okay, Rapunzel. I understand,' he soothed. 'Lance is my best buddy too, and if he'd done what Cassandra did, I'd be feeling the same as you are right now.'

She sighed. He meant well, but it wasn't really the same. Cass was actually _ valid _ for hating her. She also really really missed Cass, as if half of her own soul had been severed. Still, it was cute of him to try and console her when she was being so distant.

‘Thanks Eugene. I don’t know what I would do without both of you by my side.’ She squeezed him gently, letting him know that she greatly appreciated his company.   
Eugene smiled, though it was more out of keeping a brave face for Rapunzel than anything else. ‘Uh...this is definitely a bad time to mention this, but...well it’s important.’ He scratched the back of his head. 

Rapunzel blinked up at him, the most curious look on her face. It was ruined however by the puffy redness around her eyes. ‘Yes?’ she asked. 

‘Well, uh...it’s probably best you come see it instead. It’s pretty weird, even I have to admit-and I’ve seen _ weird _ .’ He made a disgusted face, to which Rapunzel halfheartedly giggled back. 

‘Alright then, show me.’

* * *

‘Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Rapunzel!’ an excited tornado that was the teenage alchemist rushed towards her. He had a newly coloured vial in his hand, and an ecstatic look on his face. His eyes were partly covered by his goggles, yet the thirst for discovery in his eye was still shining through. He halted right in front of her, puffing for air. ‘We’ve uncovered yet another variant of -hooh,' he gasped, '-Cassandra’s powers, and it's proving some interesting results!’

‘Way to spoil it, kid.’ Eugene muttered. He turned to Rapunzel. ‘Now...Sunshine, I know it hurts but we’re going to get to the bottom of this together, okay? Whatever Cassandra throws at us, we can pull through.’ He hugged her again. 

‘Alright. Show me the rocks.’ Rapunzel said. 

‘Well, you see, they’re kind of _ everywhere _ so it's not hard to find one.’ the alchemist chuckled. ‘They seem to be growing much closer together this time, maybe to cover more ground? Or she’s getting stronger? Maybe both!’ Varian begun to theorize, placing the vial back on his makeshift portable workshop he’d brought. He started analysing one of the great spikes with a magnifying glass, but Rapunzel was already starting to drown him out. All she could focus on was the fuschia rocks bursting from the ground. She couldn’t place it, but this version of moonstone rocks, _ these specifically _ felt like they were _ exclusively meant _ for _ her _ . Not the king or queen, not Corona, _ Rapunzel _ . 

‘What did you say they do, again?’ she asked, still mesmerised by this version of Cassandra’s power. They were...kind of beautiful actually. 

Varian looked to Eugene and Eugene looked back at him. ‘Uh...well, it’s sort of unclear _ why _ but they-’ 

Eugene interrupted. ‘-They make people kiss the things they love.’ 

‘Right.’ the boy huffed. ‘That.’ 

Rapunzel froze, stunned. ‘What?’ _ Why was her heart beating that fast all of a sudden? _ _   
_

‘They’ve been sprouting around town, and people have been getting the sudden urge to kiss things. I don’t know what Cassandra’s doing…’ 

Rapunzel spun around to face Varian. ‘Show me.’ She demanded. 

‘Uhm, Blondie, you okay?’ Eugene was beginning to worry. Rapunzel rarely used a tone of authority, and especially not after what happened with Cass. 

‘Yeah. I’m fine. I just need to see for myself what this means.’ 

‘Okay then…’ Eugene shrugged. But he vowed to keep an eye on her just in case.

* * *

The town was...in a romantic frenzy. As the trio walked the streets, many people were stuck at the hip and locking eyes with one another-some even locking lips. Rapunzel gasped when she saw it wasn't just the typical cases like her mother and father taking a romantic stroll through the town. Ms. Conardist was sighted with Vigor in one hand and a giant bag of gold coins in the other-which she was kissing. The woman even hissed at the passersby people that accidentally got too close to "her precious". Some townsfolk were being chased by others running to smooch them, and wait, _ was that lady kissing another woman _? The princess' heart ached at the sight of them, but she wasn't sure why. Even Monty was seen kissing flowers, though his nose was bright red and couldn't stop himself from sneezing. Animals were being affected too, with Ruddiger and Max arguing over a stand of apples; vigor going apeshit for a banana that he couldn't reach. 

In one walkway, they saw Kiera and Catalina making faces at one another; pretending to barf at all the romance in the air. Thinking it would be funny, Catalina took on her wolf form to try and scare everyone away. 'Now _ this _is more like it!' The group heard the pair giggling. But it quickly backfired when the town turned on them and started hugging and wanting to pet the big wolf.

Rapunzel smiled. At least nobody was really getting hurt this way. 'Hey Varian.' She asked, stopping them all in front of one of the rocks.

'Yes princess?'

'Are there any other side-effects you've noticed? Nobody's turning into crystallized rock this time around?'

He thought on it. 'Well...no. This seems to be the extent of it. Why?'

_ Interesting _. Why would Cass do such a thing then? 'Well...I was thinking...maybe it isn't so bad keeping them around for a while? Nobody's really getting hurt by them, so it's not as urgent as the red rocks.'

...Rapunzel had spoken too soon. Just as she'd said that, a woman came running with panic in her eyes. She was a hurricane of emotions, practically yanking on the princess' arm and dragging her away to some home. 'Please, Princess. I need you to see something! Hurry, there's not much time!'

Curious, the group followed along behind them, until they caught up with the pair and someone else they were familiar with.

'_ Lance _?! Is that you, buddy?' Eugene knelt down, shocked at the sight of his good friend lying on the floor. He looked worse than he did after the spider bite, with a deathly pale complexion and sunken eyes. 

The former thief coughed, groaning in pure agony. 'Eugene.' He smiled. 'I couldn't find her.'

'Buddy, what are you talking about?'

'I'm talking about the most beautiful woman in all the land!'

'Lance, I love you and all…but now's _ really _ not the time!' 

'You look sick! C'mon, we should take you back to the castle.' Varian added from behind them all.

But it was as if Lance didn't care-or he was too far gone into delirium. He kicked and squabbled like a child, forcing them all to step back, with his voice croaky and grating on the ears. 'I _ have to _find her first. You don't understa-' their friends watched as his voice was swallowed up by his coughing fit.

Rapunzel cautiously reapproached the aggravated friend and placed her hand on one of his shoulders. 'Who do you need to find, Lance?'

He turned to all of them as if the answer was ridiculously obvious. 'The most beautiful and strong woman in the world, of course.' They still waited for a clearer answer. Lance frowned. '_ Adira _?'

The group nodded, finally realising what he meant. Rapunzel was still curious as to how this all connected to their friend's current condition however. 'Why do you need to find her?' She asked.

'So I can tell her how much I love her, and want to _ kiss her _. How I long to kiss her. I can't wait any longer-its too painful.' He groaned.

'Lance…' she was still thinking and trying to process everything that had just been said. 'How long have you been searching for Adira?'

'Several days. Why?'

'And how long since you've been getting sick?'

'Several days?' He said again, unsure of where this was all heading to.

'Did you come into contact with any pink rocks around that time?'

Lance paused, thinking on it. 'Well...actually now that you mention it, once on my way visiting Kiera and Catalina.'

Something sunk in the bottom of Rapunzel's chest. She briskly nodded and walked back over to Eugene and Varian. 'We need to get him into bed back at the castle. Get everyone showing signs of illness into the castle. And tell everyone to stay away from those rocks.'

'And where will you go?' Eugene suddenly asked, worried.

'I need a word with my best friend.'

'Pleaaase tell me you're not going to do what I think you're going to do.'

She knew what he was implying, guiltily nodding to confirm his suspicions.

'But-_ Cassandra?! _What if you get hurt like Lance. I'm not allowing it.'

Rapunzel sighed. 'It's not your decision to make. I'm the sundrop. We have a...connection of sorts. If I can find out what her angle is-or even convince her to stop this-its worth the risk.'

Eugene grabbed the sides of her arms and shook her slightly. 'Blondie, I appreciate the enthusiasm, you _ know _ I do. But...what happens if you get sick? We don't know if this could kill you yet, and frankly I don't want to risk it!'

Rapunzel smiled at his concern for her. He was so sweet. She stepped closer to him and stood on her tippy-toes to lean in for a kiss on his forehead. 'I'll be fine, Eugene. The only reason Lance got sick was because he didn't find his love in time to kiss her. Everyone else we saw has been fine because they have something. My something is you. Everything's going to be okay.'

Eugene frowned, hugging her tightly in his arms before letting her go. He wanted to stop her, but Rapunzel was her own person and he refused to confine her from her decisions-even if he thought they were a mistake.

* * *

After breaking up with the group, Rapunzel found herself in a clearing of the forest alone with more fuschia rocks. She'd wanted to be as far away from the citizens as possible-just in case they accidently got hurt somehow. 

She couldn't deny the rocks were mesmerizing, the way they sparkled in the light and defiantly stood up proud from the ground. The princess leaned forward, hand hovering above the warm glow of one particular spike. Hesitantly, she wondered what she would feel, and possibly even hear. The first time she'd heard Cass had been a shock, but this time she was hoping to hear her voice. Hoping she could talk to her and apologise.

Her hand touched the cool surface which immediately heated up under her skin. The spike shone brighter and brighter, burning its image in her brain. Rapunzel tried to step back but her arm tugged her body back. Her hand was glued to the rock. An even brighter glow of light shot up into the air and exploded, causing tiny light flares to rain down from the sky. The sound of the bang was so loud however Rapunzel thought even someone in the dark kingdom would have heard the commotion.

The princess tugged again, but her hand remained in place. The panic rose inside her when the same fuschia colour as the rocks started creeping up her right hand. Voices started exploding in her head. No..._ one _voice. Cassandra's.

** 'Raps?'**

Rapunzel froze, electricity stunning her into rigid silence. She nearly burst into tears right then and there at the sound of her friend's nickname for her. It had been so long since she'd heard it, she needed to hear it again a hundred times over and it still would never be enough.

'Cass?' She asked.

**'Where is Rapunzel?'** Oh. Rapunzel's mood instantly soured. She wasn't actually speaking to her friend.

**'I miss you...'**

Were these Cass' thoughts she was hearing? They were so loud in her head compared to the silence she was in in reality.

** 'Come back to me...'**

** 'I'm lonely…'**

The princess' heart broke. It didn't sound like Cass was doing all too well out there. Come to think of it, was she even surviving? Did she have enough food and water out there? She hoped Cassandra had found a shelter to situate herself in and wasn't just roaming around the dark forest with nothing but her sword and some dirt.

** 'I need you...'**

The rock was only confirming her fears however. The last thought scaring her the most.

** 'Help me.'**

Rapunzel tried to desperately get a response from the real Cass but before she could barely begin to focus, the rock hummed and glowed an angry magenta, until it got so loud and bright, an explosion of white was the last thing the princess saw, along with the feeling of grass grazing against her back.

* * *

Rapunzel rose from the dirt feeling a little winded, but moreso engrossed in a million thoughts and worries. The overriding emotion however was desperation. Something colourful flashed in front of her face. Grabbing it, one of her locks of hair was now completely the shade of pink.

She'd been infected.

Running as fast as her bare feet could carry her, Rapunzel headed straight for Eugene. The crushing weight in her heart was driving her insane, she _so_ _badly _needed to kiss her boyfriend-it was a necessity. Like breathing. She pushed through crowds, ignoring some of the shouts that would sometimes follow after, and slammed doors wide open without caring if they splintered or not.

Once she'd reached Eugene's room, she pushed the door shut and sprung into his arms.

He'd been admiring himself in one of his mirrors before she'd interrupted, but his smile instantly rose at the sight of her.

'Welcome back sunshi-what happened to your _hair_?!' He gasped, frown immediately reappearing.

The princess looked up to see the pink strands peeking above her forehead. 'Oh this? Nevermind that. I need to kiss you.'

Eugene paused, but then quickly made the connection between her sudden forwardness and the hair. He nodded and leaned in, Rapunzel also mirroring his actions. 

Their lips met, and a cooling sensation travelled through Rapunzel's body, quenching the burning thirst she'd had lingering with her the entire trip back. It was replaced with the familiar cozy warmth she always got when kissing Eugene.

After the kiss, Rapunzel gazed into his eyes and smiled. 'Thank you. Now that I'm cured, we need to find Cass. She's in trouble.'

Eugene sighed. 'Rapunzel, I'm all for following you into adventure but don't you think we need a plan?'

'Eugene, she's not _ evil _ .' Rapunzel sighed, exasperated at the amount of times she'd had to repeat this to people. 'The last time I touched those rocks I could sense immense fear. Now I heard her calling out for help. Something's _ wrong _.'

'Sunshine-'

The princess ignored him, stepping away from him so she could pace back and forth in thought. 'I still don't get this yet. Why would she be afraid and send rocks asking for help?'

'Sunshine, I know you're worried but you should really-'

Rapunzel continued on her tangent. None of this made any sense, and yet all she was focused on was how terrified she felt for Cass. 'Why did she send love rocks? I don't-'

'Rapunzel!' Eugene shouted, causing said princess to jump in surprise. She turned to him and blinked. 'I get that you're worried...but _ look _ at your hair!'

'What about it?'

'It's still turning pink.' 

Oh. They both knew the underlying message of that statement. It meant danger. More importantly, it meant that _ Rapunzel was still infected, and it was getting worse. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaahhh...wow I struggled with the end of this chapter. Plus I'm horrendous at romance so good luck to me in making this story sorta good XD. Hope you liked it tho. ^-^


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel and Eugene are now on a race to find Cassandra before the pink rocks take over all of Corona's citizens.

A quick ride on a hot-air balloon and an even longer trip with Xavier before they left had led Rapunzel, Eugene and Varian on the Quest for Cassandra. Why? Well, to put it as short as possible, Xavier had inferred through a few of his many conveniently sourced collections of literature, that Rapunzel needed to put an end to the core of the problem...or else she'd end up like Lance-or worse-since her love with Eugene had seemingly done almost nothing to resolve it the first time. Her hair would continue to change colour, like its own personal ticking time bomb, and she seemed to be lapsing back into a love-struck stupor, which thankfully Eugene could quickly solve with another kiss. But it would start increasing in frequency until Raps got Cassandra to stop her infection of pink rocks. Which is why they were now ballooning back to the Dark Kingdom in search of said human disaster.

It had already been a few hours, and the group were starting to feel the clutches of boredom on their shoulders. Varian had resorted to reading an alchemy book filled with all of his own inventions-failed and successful, leaving both Rapunzel and Eugene to deal with the abundance of unending silence surrounding them.

'Sooo,' Eugene broke through the gap between them, his side almost touching the princess'. Together they looked on down below.

'So...' Rapunzel mirrored, with one arm supporting her face, the other fiddling with some of her fuschia locks. There were now significantly more strands cropping her head, with almost a quarter of it no longer blonde.

'How are you feeling?' He reached an arm around her shoulders and drew her closer to him. Her heart rate had skyrocketed since the first signs of the "love sickness", but all Eugene could think about now was how warm she was beside him. He'd been slowly drawing to a conclusion to something stored at the back of his mind for a long time now, but hadn't gotten the chance to discuss it with her yet. Perhaps now would be the right time?

Rapunzel sighed, gaze still lost in the woods below them. 'I'm...not sure, Eugene. Everything is just out of place and not where it should be.' She knew she should be more invested in this quest-her life depended on it-but more than anything she just wished Cass was okay and safe somewhere. Cassandra was somehow all she could seem to focus on this entire time. And she didn’t mind it in the slightest.

'I think I get it.' Eugene nodded. They were near the Lorbs' Island now. 'And with this love sickness going around…' he shrugged, as if pacing himself would ease her mind into the heavy question he was about to ask. Rapunzel was now caught in his attention-but only with her ears, her body also unintentionally on guard despite his welcoming presence. 'Maybe it's time we had a talk about-'

'-Cassandra!' Rapunzel pointed down below near the jungle's entrance. The princess almost fell out of the balloon if it weren't for Eugene's quick reflexes wrapping himself around her waist.

Varian sprung to his feet in shock and immediately rushed over to the engine.

'Jeez Blondie, be careful! Are you absolutely sure that was her?' What would Cassandra be doing on the Lorb's Island anyway? It just seemed too strange of a possibility. Then again, when did anyone understand  _ Cassandra _ ?

Rapunzel still had her eyes trained on the wall of flora. She knew it was Cass. It had to be. There was no mistaking that brilliant shock of turquoise hair in the midday sun. 'Cassandra is on that island.' She said adamantly.

Eugene sighed. 'Okay then. Let's go look for her. Varian?'

The alchemist nodded. 'Already on it.' He said, twisting the nobs. In no time the balloon started lowering the group to the shore. The basket landed with a soft thump on the sand.

Rapunzel didn't even wait for Eugene to open the door for her, practically jumping out of the side and sprinting to the edge of the forest. She could feel it, the aching in her heart, Cass was here.

Eugene caught up beside her not long after, gasping for air. 'I knew you were excited, but _ man _ …' he muttered breathlessly.

Rapunzel ignored him and walked forward, pushing aside some of the leaves that were in her way. 'Cass!' She called out. 'Cass, please! I need to talk to you!'

The princess hadn't noticed Varian had joined them until he too was calling out her name. The group continued like that for a while until Rapunzel heard someone speaking.

'I don't know how I feel about all of this...this can't  _ actually _ be my destiny, is it?'

'Cassandra?' The princess' head whipped in the direction of the voice. It was unmistakably her. The boys looked at her, but before they could even ask what was wrong, she started running away. Now split from the group, Rapunzel pushed aside a pair of bushes to find...nothing. She sighed. 

Eugene looked at her oddly when he found her practically sulking that she hadn't found the walking disaster yet. 'Sunshine, you're really starting to worry me. Why did you run off like that?! You could have been hurt... _ again _ !'

Rapunzel shrugged. 'But I'm fine, Eugene.' She gave him one of her masked smiles-it would have worked had it been anyone but him. He blinked, crossing his arms. Admitting defeat, she said, 'I thought she was here...I heard a voice and followed it.'

Eugene raised an eyebrow. 'You heard a... a voice?'

'Cassandra's voice?' Varian asked from behind Eugene's arm. He was just as confused and alarmed as Eugene seemed to be.

'Yes,' she said. 'Didn't you hear it?'

Both companions shook their heads. Goosebumps prickled on the surface of her arms. But... that had definitely been  _ Cassandra  _ she'd heard. She wasn't  _ insane _ ... was she?

Sensing her distress, Eugene tried to lean into her with a hug. He combed her hair with his fingers while her body wrapped itself around his. 'Maybe you're just not in the right frame of mind to look for her yet, maybe it's time we forget about Cass for a little while and come back here in a few hours?'

Rapunzel froze. She pushed him off of her with an incredulous look on her face. 'How could you say that?'

'Wha? Rapunzel, doesn't it seem a bit much to be putting that much effort into finding someone who's now our enemy? Yes she's important but you also deserve some rest!'

'She's my  _ best friend,  _ Eugene!' Her boyfriend watched as another strand of her hair changed colour. Interesting. 'She means the world to me, I can't just give up on her like that!'

'I never said we'd give up-' his words died on his tongue when he saw the murderous glint in her crazed eyes. There was no talking her out of this. In fear of making her condition worse, Eugene nodded, 'You're right. I can't stop you anyway.' She seemed to calm down at that, shoulders heaving up and down a lot less than they had been. 'In that case...Varian and I will be at the shelter you built last time we were here. Don't go too far,' he pointed at her, 'and if you need us, let us know and we'll be there for you.'

Rapunzel nodded with a smile. 'Okay.'

'Okay…' he sighed in reply. Turning to the teenager still silently watching behind him, he said, 'Alright then, buddy. Let's leave Rapunzel to her quest. In the meantime we should find something to eat, what do you say?'

Varian nodded, accepting the arm that stretched around his shoulder in an attempt of comradery. The pair left the princess, Eugene reminding himself to keep track of her behaviour in case he would need to intervene. His analysis was pretty much almost confirmed, he only needed a few more details to cement the answer to his observations.

* * *

Not too far away, on the opposite side of the island lay a very sick, yet still very stubborn Cassandra. The enchanted girl had ceased to abandon the "wildly entertaining" jabs and mockery towards the Moonstone Wielder and her emotions. Which had made the trip back to Corona that much more unappealing and torturous than it already was for Cass. It had led to even more exhaustion-if that were even possible-and had gotten to a point where Cassandra just couldn't take it anymore and ended up face-planting in the dirt of some cave that she  _ vaguely _ remembered would locate her on the island of those leaf creature things.

'Cass!' An angelic voice whispered in her ear, stirring her from her otherwise restless powernap. A cold hand on her back gently knocked her limp body from side to side. 'Psst...Cass! Wake up!'

In a half whine, half tantrum of a tone, she sat up and said, 'Please, let me sleep for ten minutes, that's all I- _ Rapunzel _ ?!' She blinked away the sleep from her eyes.

'Surprise…' the princess chuckled. 

Her jaw dropped. How? When? It didn't matter. 'What are  _ you _ doing here?' She glared, standing up and unsheathing her sword. If there was physical distance between them, then she would also be able to keep herself emotionally distant. 

To her annoyance, the blonde princess appeared unfazed by her hostility. She merely shrugged it off and smiled with that ridiculously bright smile of hers. 'I miss you. I want to be by your side. Come home with me, Cassandra.'

None of any part of this situation made sense. Was this another of her "Everything is fine even if it really, really isn't" situations? Cass knew how much she was prone to that behaviour. 'I  _ betrayed _ you! You should be mad at me!' Why was she so relaxed about everything?! Rage boiled inside her fragile heart. How dare she yet again be oblivious to the situation, and more importantly, be oblivious to  _ her _ . She edged the point of the sword closer to the princess' neck. She wouldn't actually harm her, her muscles wouldn't allow it. But there was no harm in a little threat.

The princess held her hands up, but not in defeat. She stared into Cassandra's conflicted eyes determinedly. 'I love you, Cass.'

A part of her melted inside, rendering her weak at the knees. The princess had uttered those words with such surety and determination, as if it were a promise she'd die to keep. But it was all an illusion. They were  _ friends _ . And after what Cassandra had done to free her from the princess' orders, she was pretty confident in saying they were enemies now. A sadness now lingered inside her, but she willed it away and tried to replace it with anger.

'I don't like you,  _ Rapunzel. _ ' She spat back. The side of her scalp itched shortly after but she ignored it, watching the cause of her suffering shrink back into a wounded puppy.   
‘But Cass, you’re my favourite person in the entire world.’ Something warm wrapped around her leg. It squeezed round her boot tightly, and yet also seemed to ground her in a weird way. Looking down she met the pearlish eyes of one sad,  _ five year old  _ Rapunzel. 

Okay... _ what?! _ What kind of lucid hell had she trapped herself in this time?   


She tried to nudge the child off of her leg, but it was as if she’d glued herself to the warrior. ‘Cass?’ another familiar voice called out to her. It echoed through the cave until not long after the shape of a shy princess Rapunzel with her brunette hair emerged. For a moment, they both stared at each other in a stupor. It was broken by Rapunzel first, however. She heard the princess gasp-she must have seen Cassandra’s new look in her moonstone armour and had decided to instantly rush over to give her her signature bear hug. ‘Wow Cass you look  _ amazing _ is that some special armour for your new job as a guard?! And I  _ love _ your new hair colour! That’s not to say I didn’t like your other hairstyle because that looked lovely too, but this is so...so alluring! It’s a real statement and-’   


At that point Cass tuned out, her sword going limp in her hand as she felt her heart rate spike and the all too familiar feeling of dread enter her. Too close. Waaay too close. Distance. She needed distance. Her hands trembled as she tried to pry Rapunzel off of her.    


‘Having fun over there,  _ Cassandra? _ ’ Came the sweet sing-song of  _ her _ again.   


‘What does it look like?’ She rolled her eyes, her predicament not being helped by yet another Rapunzel-this one in her cape the night they snuck out together on that fateful day-squeezing her cheeks and giggling at the expressions she was creating on her clearly unamused face.   


‘Well in my opinion, I would think that being surrounded by Rapunzel would be  _ exactly  _ the type of thing you would enjoy?’

Cassandra raised a finger at the gremlin, but was too unprepared by that statement to rebut it. It was  _ not  _ because a tiny voice was trying to tell her that it was partly true. Instead, she opted for a more progressive route. 'Why are there so many of her?'

The girl shrugged, an evil grin on her face.

'It's not because of me so don't even start that.'

'Well, dear, you're partially right there.'

'Explain.' Cassandra demanded, however it sounded a lot more desperate aloud than in her head.

'The moonstone doesn't like being distant from the sundrop.' Her pale companion smirked.

'For the fifty- _ millionth _ time-'

'-its not about  _ you _ , impatient child!' Cass could sense some rising frustration and decided it would be best if she just listen for now. Not like she had much of a choice, anyway. She was shocked to discover her muscles decided to halt and obey every word from that shrill command even without her mind agreeing on it.

The blue girl sighed and calmed down from her outburst. 'The moonstone is being shadowed by the sundrop, and the longer it goes  _ without  _ eliminating its counter partner, the longer it is kept waiting in the dark. In simpler words, its power is collapsing because of the sundrops' presence. You  _ need _ to break Rapunzel, it's the only way, really.'   


‘But…’   


‘Stop thinking about it. You’re over-complicating things. Trust in me and you’ll live your best life. A life of freedom, where you are  _ respected _ . Is that not a life you want?’   


‘Of course I want that…’   


‘Then do as I say. In the meantime, get comfortable with your girlfriends, as you might not be seeing her for a while after all of this.’   


It wasn't hard to know what that meant. Cassandra sighed. There had to be another way of approaching this, right? Right?

The enchanted girl rolled her eyes at the sight of her pathetic minion. They'd hardly made any progress and she was beginning to grow tired of the delays. She hovered closer to the smothered Moonstone wielder. One of the Sundrops was combing her fingers through her hair. 'You know Cassandra, I did warn you she was stripping you of your powers, did I not?'

'Yes, you did.' She said like a kicked puppy would.

'Oh I did?' The enchanted girl feigned innocence. 'Well it looks like I have to remind you again of the severity of this situation.' Her tone became more demanding. 'Eliminate  _ her  _ before she eliminates you, Cassandra. It's your destiny.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the characters are OOC...im sorry about that. Still hope you enjoyed it and are eager for more :) i got some devious ideas planned ahead.
> 
> Thanks for reading ^-^


End file.
